Top 20 Drama manga you should read right now. [2024 List]

Drama manga you should read right now.

What is this genre all about? Drama is a form of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone.

We present you the list of Drama manga you should read right now.

Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game

20. One Piece

One Piece

Gol D. Roger was known as the Pirate King, the strongest and most infamous being to have sailed the Grand Line. The capture and death of Roger by the World Government brought a change throughout the world. His last words before his death revealed the location of the greatest treasure in the world, One Piece. It was this revelation that brought about the Grand Age of Pirates, men who dreamed of finding One Piece (which promises an unlimited amount of riches and fame), and quite possibly the most coveted of titles for the person who found it, the title of the Pirate King.

Enter Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy that defies your standard definition of a pirate. Rather than the popular persona of a wicked, hardened, toothless pirate who ransacks villages for fun, Luffy’s reason for being a pirate is one of pure wonder; the thought of an exciting adventure and meeting new and intriguing people, along with finding One Piece, are his reasons of becoming a pirate. Following in the footsteps of his childhood hero, Luffy and his crew travel across the Grand Line, experiencing crazy adventures, unveiling dark mysteries and battling strong enemies, all in order to reach One Piece.

One Piece is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ONE PIECE, Budak Getah, Đảo Hải Tặc, Большой куш, Ван Пис, Уан Пийс, Эйтиро Ода, Վան Փիս, וואן פיס, قطعة واحدة, وان پیس, ون بيس, وەن پیس, वान पिस, वान् पीस, ওয়ান পিস, ஒன் பீஸ், วันพีซ, ဝမ်းပိစ်, ዋንፒስ, ワンピース, 海盗路飞, 海賊王, 海贼王, 航海王, 원피스

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19. [Oshi no Ko]

[Oshi no Ko]

"In the world of showbiz, lies are weapons." Goro works as an OB-GYN in the countryside, a life far removed from the entertainment industry. Meanwhile, his favorite idol, Ai Hoshino, has begun her climb to stardom. The two meet in the "worst possible way," setting the gears of fate in motion! The amazing Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari team up to depict the world of showbiz from a completely new perspective in this shocking series!

【OSHI NO KO】 is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 【推しの子】, My Favorite's Child, Favorite Girl, My Idol's Child, Oshi no Ko, [Mein*Star], เกิดใหม่เป็นลูกโอชิ

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18. Iphagyongbyeong

Iphagyongbyeong

At the age of eight, I-Jin Yu lost his parents in a plane crash and became stranded in a foreign land, forced to become a child mercenary in order to stay alive. He returns home ten years later to be reunited with his family in Korea, where food and shelter are plenty and everything seems peaceful. But I-Jin will soon learn that life as a teenager is a whole other feat of survival. With only one year of high school left, I-Jin must master new tactics to maneuver his way around the schoolhouse battleground. Can he survive a year of high school? Or rather, will the school be able to survive him?

Mercenary Enrollment is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: High School Mercenary (French), High School Soldier (Indonesian), Mercenario adolescente, Mercenary Enrollment, Söldnereinschreibung, Tentara Menyamar Jadi Anak SMA, พี่ชายสายบอดี้การ์ด, 入学傭兵, 入學傭兵, 少年佣兵

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17. Berserk

Berserk

His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned—and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him! Accompanied by Puck the Elf, more an annoyance than a companion, Guts relentlessly follows a dark, bloodstained path that leads only to death...or vengeance.



Notes:
- Volumes 1-5 contain the 16 prequel chapters 0A - 0P.
- Chapter 83 was omitted from Volume 13 due to the author’s request.
- Volume 14 includes “Berserk: The Prototype”.
- Due to the author's passing, starting from Chapter 365, the manga is illustrated by Studio Gaga (Miura's assistants) and supervised by Kouji Mori (a close friend of Miura's).

Berserk is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ベルセルク, Berserk: The Prototype

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16. Dandadan

Dandadan

Ghosts, monsters, aliens, teen romance, battles...and the kitchen sink! This series has it all! Takakura, an occult maniac who doesn't believe in ghosts, and Ayase, a girl who doesn't believe in aliens, try to overcome their differences when they encounter the paranormal! This manga is out of this world!

Dandadan is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ダンダダン, Dandadan

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15. Release That Witch

Release That Witch

A male engineer transmigrated into another world, and became a prince. This place strikingly resembles the Middle Ages of Europe, but at the same time, it seems kind of different? Witches truly exists, and they even possess magic powers! Magic powers are productive forces! Save the witches, liberate the productive forces! Open map, fight demons, break conspiracies, climb up the science and technology tree, and open the path of hardcore ‘farming’!

(Source:MU)

Release That Witch is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Release That Witch

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14. Kingdom

Kingdom

Millions of years have passed since the times of legends, when the worlds of man and gods were still the same. In these times it was the desires of man that moved the world. It is the period of the 500 year war: the Era of Warring States. Kingdom is the story of a young boy who grew into a great general and all the trials and bloodshed that led him there.

is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: キングダム, Kingdom

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13. Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul

Shy Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with the beautiful Rize. But it turns out that she’s only interested in his body—eating it, that is. When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid, Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls, which exists alongside our own.



Note: Includes 1 extra chapter.

Tokyo Ghoul has finished publishing and it has 144 Chapters. It is also Known as: 東京喰種トーキョーグール, Toukyou Kushu

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12. Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan

A century ago, the grotesque giants known as Titans appeared and consumed all but a few thousand humans. The survivors took refuge behind giant walls. Today, the threat of the Titans is a distant memory, and a boy named Eren yearns to explore the world beyond Wall Maria. But what began as a childish dream will become an all-too-real nightmare when the Titans return and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction … Attack on Titan is the award-winning and New York Times-bestselling series that is the manga hit of the decade! Spawning the monster hit anime TV series of the same name, Attack on Titan has become a pop culture sensation.



Volume 3 contains the special story "Rivai Heishichou" (リヴァイ兵士長, Captain Levi).
Volume 5 contains the side story "Ilse no Techou" (イルゼの手帳, Ilse's Notebook).

Attack on Titan has finished publishing and it has 141 Chapters. It is also Known as: Shingeki no Kyojin, 進撃の巨人, L'attaque sur les titans, Атака титанов, ھێرش بۆ سەر زەبەلاحەكان, 進擊的巨人, SNK, AOT, Ilse no Techou, Rivai Heishichou

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11. Vagabond

Vagabond

In 16th century Japan, Shinmen Takezou is a wild, rough young man, in both his appearance and his actions. His aggressive nature has won him the collective reproach and fear of his village, leading him and his best friend, Matahachi Honiden, to run away in search of something grander than provincial life. The pair enlist in the Toyotomi army, yearning for glory—but when the Toyotomi suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of the Tokugawa Clan at the Battle of Sekigahara, the friends barely make it out alive.

After the two are separated, Shinmen returns home on a self-appointed mission to notify the Hon'iden family of Matahachi's survival. He instead finds himself a wanted criminal, framed for his friend's supposed murder based on his history of violence. Upon being captured, he is strung up on a tree and left to die. An itinerant monk, the distinguished Takuan Soho, takes pity on the "devil child," secretly freeing Shinmen and christening him with a new name to avoid pursuit by the authorities: Musashi Miyamoto.

Vagabond is the fictitious retelling of the life of one of Japan's most renowned swordsmen, the "Sword Saint" Musashi Miyamoto—his rise from a swordsman with no desire other than to become "Invincible Under the Heavens" to an enlightened warrior who slowly learns of the importance of close friends, self-reflection, and life itself.

Vagabond has finished publishing and it has 327 Chapters. It is also Known as: バガボンド, Vagabond

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10. Death Note

Death Note

Light Yagami is a brilliant 17-year-old student, one of the top scorers on his exams in all of Japan. One day as he leaves school, he finds a mysterious black notebook on the ground with "Death Note" written on it. The first thing written inside: "The human whose name is written in the notebook shall die." Light decides to use this to cleanse the world of evil by killing all the criminals. On the scene comes L, ace detective, who's determined to find Light—who the world now calls "Kira"—and track him down, thus bringing us an epic psychological thrill ride.

Death Note has finished publishing and it has 108 Chapters. It is also Known as: DEATH NOTE, Death Note

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9. Koe no Katachi

Koe no Katachi

Shoya is a bully. When Shoko, a girl who can't hear, enters his elementary school class, she becomes their favorite target, and Shoya and his friends goad each other into devising new tortures for her. But the children's cruelty goes too far. Shoko is forced to leave the school, and Shoya ends up shouldering all the blame. Six years later, the two meet again. Can Shoya make up for his past mistakes, or is it too late?

A Silent Voice has finished publishing and it has 64 Chapters. It is also Known as: 聲の形, The Shape of Voice

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8. Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist

In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical "auto-mail" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his brother and himself... the legendary Philosopher's Stone.

Won the 49th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shounen category.
Won the 15th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Award New Artist Prize.
Won the Eagle Award's "Favourite Manga" in 2010/2011.
Won the Seiun Award for best science fiction comic in 2011.

Fullmetal Alchemist has finished publishing and it has 116 Chapters. It is also Known as: Hagane no Renkinjutsushi, 鋼の錬金術師, Full Metal Alchemist, FMA, HagaRen, Fullmetal Alchemist Gaiden

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7. Tokyo卍Revengers

Tokyo卍Revengers

Hanagaki Takemichi was once a low-life punk, but after biting off more than he could chew with a gang in middle school, he ran away from his old life. Now that he’s an adult, the gang that once terrorized him has grown into the largest gang in Tokyo, and they’ve started killing people–including his old girlfriend! After learning this news, a mysterious force on a train platform shoves Takemichi right in front of an approaching train. As his life flashes before his eyes, he blinks to find himself transported back to middle school, before he fled from the gang! Now he has the chance to right what went wrong all those years ago. Can he save his girlfriend’s life in the future–and what else might he change if he’s rewriting the past?



Notes:
- Winner of the Shounen Manga category of the 44th annual Kodansha Manga Awards.
- Includes 1 extra chapter.

Tokyo Revengers has finished publishing and it has 278 Chapters. It is also Known as: 東京卍リベンジャーズ, Tokyo Manji Revengers, Toukyou Revengers, Toukyou卍Revengers

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6. Tokyo Ghoul:re

Tokyo Ghoul:re

The Commission of Counter Ghoul is the only organization fighting the Ghoul menace, and they will use every tool at their disposal to protect humanity from its ultimate predator. Their newest weapon in this hidden war is an experimental procedure that implants human investigators with a Ghoul's Kagune, giving them Ghoul powers and abilities. But both the procedure and the newly formed Qs Squad are untested. Will they become heroes… or monsters?

Tokyo Ghoul:re has finished publishing and it has 179 Chapters. It is also Known as: 東京喰種-トーキョーグール-:re, トーキョーグール:re, Tokyo Ghoul: "Joker", Tokyo Kushu:re, Toukyou Kuushu:re

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5. Oyasumi Punpun

Oyasumi Punpun

Punpun is an ordinary young boy growing up in Japan whose age of innocence has reached its end after his father is arrested for spousal abuse and putting his mother in the hospital. With his uncle looking after him, Punpun grows into adulthood facing a series of events which change him, for better or worse, forcing him to contemplate just what it means to be an adult.

Goodnight Punpun has finished publishing and it has 147 Chapters. It is also Known as: おやすみプンプン, Dobranoc, Punpunie, Bonne nuit Punpun!, Boa noite, Punpun, Bona nit, Punpun, Buenas noches, Punpun, Gute Nacht, Punpun, 잘자 뿡뿡, 晚安布布, לילה טוב, פונפון, Buonanotte, Punpun, İyi Geceler, Punpun, ฝันดีนะปุนปุน

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4. Beware of the Villainess!

Beware of the Villainess!

A refreshing, unique villainess who's been dropped in the world of a novel, only to overthrow it all! The reason why? She couldn't just stand by and watch the female lead be manipulated by all four shitty male leads. The story of a villainess, who intends to throw out all the jackasses, and a wolf that only yearns for her!

Beware of the Villainess! has finished publishing and it has 128 Chapters. It is also Known as: Gare à la vilaine!, その悪女に気をつけてください, 小心那个恶女!, 恶毒女配今天不营业, ระวังไว้ ยัยตัวร้ายกำลังมา

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3. Domestic na Kanojo

Domestic na Kanojo

High schooler Natsuo is hopelessly in love with his cheerful and popular teacher, Hina. However, one day at a mixer, he meets a moody girl by the name of Rui and ends up sleeping with her. Soon after, his father announces that he's getting remarried to a woman with two daughters of her own. And who shows up in tow, other than both Hina and Rui?! Natsuo's outrageous new life starts now!

Domestic Girlfriend has finished publishing and it has 276 Chapters. It is also Known as: ドメスティックな彼女, Dome x Kano

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2. The Guy Upstairs

The Guy Upstairs

Rozy finds her neighbor, the guy who lives upstairs a little bit too suspicious.

Source: Webtoon

The Guy Upstairs is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: The Guy Upstairs

You might like: Top Manga Like The Guy Upstairs

1. Matbon Gime Kkulkkeong!

Matbon Gime Kkulkkeong!

"If I die after eating, that’ll be great!"

Luana was born an abandoned princess of a kingdom that would soon be occupied. It’s the story where her death was decided anyway, so she ate what she wanted to eat. Her cooking has captured The General of the Conquering Army, the duke who was cursed and can’t taste foods?

"There was nothing I wanted in this small kingdom, but now I think I do.”

Why are you looking at me when you say that~?!!!

This is the story of Legion, the occupier of the kingdom who lost his sense of taste due to the curse, and Luana, the only person who could make him taste food.

Savor the Taste is currently publishing and has 59 Chapters. It is also Known as: Swallow After Tasting, Bon Appétit

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